Lets Do The Codec Question Agaaain

[Tomokka]

I have a question about the blu-ray. The question doesent have anything to do with the subject of this thread, but i didnt want to create a new one.
My friend told me that blu-ray uses mpeg2 codec, but i have always thought it used vc1 like hd-dvd does. As i understand it vc1 is better than mpeg2 because obviously mpeg2 is a lot older codec. This combined with the fact that many hd-dvd movies are getting better review from picture quality, does this mean that hd-dvd:s will always have better picture quality than blu-ray? or will blu-ray change codec at some point.

[pretender2j]

Not an expert on this but as far as I know the initial batch of Blu-Ray movie are all encoded using mpeg2 and most since then now use one of the two newer codecs, VC1 or H.264/AVC.

I might add that I am quite impressed with the picture quality of H.264 videos that I play on my iPod. Despite having a low resolution they come up half decent on my 17" CRT.

JB

[onanie]

Originally Posted by Tomokka

I have a question about the blu-ray. The question doesent have anything to do with the subject of this thread, but i didnt want to create a new one.
My friend told me that blu-ray uses mpeg2 codec, but i have always thought it used vc1 like hd-dvd does. As i understand it vc1 is better than mpeg2 because obviously mpeg2 is a lot older codec. This combined with the fact that many hd-dvd movies are getting better review from picture quality, does this mean that hd-dvd:s will always have better picture quality than blu-ray? or will blu-ray change codec at some point.

there is a choice of the same three codecs between the two formats - MPEG2, VC-1 and AVC. Sony has a preference for mpeg2, though it is not a written rule for the rest of the blu-ray studios which have used all the three codecs. If HD DVD were getting better reviews, my impression is that it is in the past now, for various reasons.

[Tomokka]

Originally Posted by onanie

there is a choice of the same three codecs between the two formats - MPEG2, VC-1 and AVC. Sony has a preference for mpeg2, though it is not a written rule for the rest of the blu-ray studios which have used all the three codecs. If HD DVD were getting better reviews, my impression is that it is in the past now, for various reasons.

Isnt mpge2 that 10 years old codec that mp3:s use? I got to wonder what Sony was smoking when they chose mpge2.

[onanie]

Originally Posted by Tomokka

Isnt mpge2 that 10 years old codec that mp3:s use? I got to wonder what Sony was smoking when they chose mpge2.

Old isn't necessarily crap. Depending on who you speak to, it could also be described as mature. Mission Impossible (if i'm not mistaken) is one unique title where the studio had decided to release as mpeg2 on Blu-ray, and VC-1 on HD-DVD, and the image qualities are comparable (some might argue that the mpeg2 turned out better).

[Tomokka]

Originally Posted by Dave

Tomokka, most Blu-ray movies now come in VC-1. Yes there were some of the first BD movies in MPEG2 but not anymore.

Also hd dvd DOES NOT have better quality compared to Blu-ray. Its the opposite.



About the article:
This is the lames peace of crap ever read! LOLOLOLOLO

Isnt vc1 a codec from MS? Did sony have to pay MS for the use of vc1 or can anybody just use any codec they want? Also about the quality, i think i would get another answer from another forum, but if you look the avrage of reviews hd-dvd is doing better.

[onanie]

Originally Posted by Tomokka

Isnt vc1 a codec from MS? Did sony have to pay MS for the use of vc1 or can anybody just use any codec they want? Also about the quality, i think i would get another answer from another forum, but if you look the avrage of reviews hd-dvd is doing better.

I do not know how there can be an "average" of reviews. If one is happy to consider the recent reviews, then blu-ray no longer seems to be disadvantaged.

[Blue]

Originally Posted by Tomokka

Isnt mpge2 that 10 years old codec that mp3:s use? I got to wonder what Sony was smoking when they chose mpge2.

There is an addition to MPEG2 for HD (and that is new, well as new as the other codecs). MPEG2 is the least compressed so uses much more disc space. General rule of thumb, the less compression the better, however not always the case, especially if sacrificing bandwidth. HD-DVD will be very reluctant to use MPEG2 as space is an issue, many of the movies they have released are using up most of the disc and the epics haven't even been announced e.g. Ben Hur, Gone with the Wind etc, with high compression on Blu Ray will be tight, I think it's going to be a disc swap for HD-DVD. Once HD-DVD dies an untimely death, this will be next battle ground for arguments, which is the better codec.

[Deciazulado]

Tomokka: Both High Definition disc formats can use MPEG-2, VC-1, and AVC.

AVC is the same thing as MPEG 4 Part 10 which is the same thing as H.264
(It's called different by different organizations) (Like Apple's FireWire is called i.Link by Sony and IEEE 3994 in the Windows world)

(Don't "cornfuze" MPEG-4 Part 10/AVC/H.264 with the earlier MPEG-4 Part 2)
Both AVC and VC-1 are advanced codecs that I think evolved from mpeg4 roots (VC-1 from the WM9 variation of doing it, and I think that you'd have to pay a fee to MS to use it on a disc, and for the MPEGs you'd pay the MPEG/LA group)

Advanced codecs have more features and of course they are supposed to be more efficient at shrinking the file size than MPEG-2 (Meaning they can give equivalent quality at smaller file sizes)

As Blue mentions, there's also various "levels" of the codecs, (like H.264 level 4, level 4.1, level 4.2 etc) those levels increase resolution (some levels go beyond 1080p up to the highest film scanning resolutions), frame rate (things like 60p ) and color (hi bit depth and color space)

I don't have extensive experience watching HD-DVDs but I've seen good looking transfers and bad looking transfers. The good looking ones had higher VC-1 bitrates and the bad ones had lower VC-1 bitrates ( Isn''t that shocking? )

One of the best "transfers" I've seen is the Aladdin/Hitchikers/Flightplan/Narnia Pioneer BD player demo. Recently I've seen the Fox demo/trailer thing, and in it particulary Walk The Line looked amazing. Don't know what's the bitrate or codec on those (The Kingdom of Heaven section stated MPEG-2) but if they are all MPEG-2 I'd probably feel woozy , thinking that with MPEG-4 you could get the same quality in smaller file size. (I've asked around but nobody has gven me yet a definitive answer of what codec was used on those demos )